Hate & violence against the homeless...

...is the picture painted by a recent New York Times (NYT) article about hate crime legislation. The article relied heavily on the recent report by the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) -- "Hate, Violence and Death on Main Street USA".

The gist of the NYT article is that because of increasing attacks on the homeless there is a need for stronger legislation designating the attacks as a hate crime. The NCH Report supports that move.

"Hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, or political affiliation." [Wiki].

While the NCH Report is 2008 specific -- the New York Times makes it 2009 specific and ties unemployment and foreclosures to crimes against the homeless.

Neither the NYT nor the NCH Report demonstrates a cause and effect between the attacks on the homeless and increased unemployment and foreclosures. The NCH Report graph on page 18 shows a significant rise in violence, but mostly in years 2006 and 2007.

But, that same graph, ironically, shows a significant a decrease in violence in 2008 from 2007. The 2008 stats are more like 2004's. And unexplained is the unusual variance in the number of homeless deaths over the last decade.

Deaths in 1999 were 48 and declined each year, except 2004, until 2005 at 13; thereafter increasing to 20 in 2006, 28 in 2007 and decreasing to 27 in 2008. For whatever reason 2004 when compared to the other years between 1999 & 2006 stands out as an anomaly.

The point the graph more likely demonstrates is that attacks on the homeless have little, if any, connection to unemployment or the number of homeless.

IInteresting too is that the violent incidents in 2008 were in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Two states, California and Florida, have particularly high incidents 17 and 21 respectively. The next nearest number is 5. [See page 26].

It is highly unlikely that there is a need for "hate" crime legislation at federal or state level. It would nevertheless be immaterial if the present laws against the person were enforced.

Hate crime focus is an inadvertent red herring detracting from the need to protect a vulnerable segment of our society and to prevent and resolve homelessness.